LEED GOLD ENERGY MODELING

As part of the client’s warehouse expansion project, PS&S performed the architectural and engineering design for the office building at their New Jersey campus. The project consisted of approximately 51,000 square feet of office expansion. The project was designed to meet LEED certification for new-construction.

THE CHALLENGE

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes, and neighborhoods. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED helps building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently. Documentation of LEED certification requires extensive documentation including modeling of energy usage and energy savings compared to baseline construction.

THE PS&S SOLUTION

Trane Trace building models were developed based on the proposed, design configuration and an ASHRAE 90.1-2004 Appendix G Performance Rating Method, baseline. The building was modeled room-by-room with the architectural design features including several different glazing and exterior shading devices, the HVAC systems including fan-powered terminal units along with the heating and cooling plants and the lighting design including daylighting controls.

The software compared the energy consumptions and generated an energy savings of 17% for the proposed design in comparison to the baseline building.